“By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.”
Hebrews 11:11
I remember the day we learned our daughter and son-in-law were expecting their first baby. We were living in Dallas, and they were miles away in Florida. We were thrilled, and at the same time, my heart ached to be closer to them. It wasn’t too far into her pregnancy when we found out there could be some major complications. I flew out to be with her for additional tests and a consultation with a specialist in the field.
As I sat beside my daughter, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of helplessness. As much as I wanted to fix everything as her mother, we were in a situation where we had no control. We knew God is trustworthy. We knew He is faithful. We knew He was bringing about a greater work that just wasn’t realized…yet. Regardless of the outcome of this pregnancy, a healthy baby or a baby with many challenges, we had to choose to trust the faithfulness of our great God. This was a struggle. We were afraid, yet in that fear, God provided a peace that passes all understanding. Our faith was not always great, but our faith is always in a great God.
God’s faithfulness answers our impossible situations. Sarah knew this. After all, she was placed in several situations that might have been considered impossible. She fixed her eyes upon a God who had made a promise. She knew He was trustworthy. She knew He was faithful.
In Genesis 12:10-20, we see how God protected Sarah when Abraham handed her over to Pharaoh’s house. Sarah’s submission to her husband, even in his dishonesty and sin, placed her under the protection of God. In fact, Peter tells us that Sarah, and other women of the Old Testament, had learned to place their “hope in God” alone, no matter the circumstances in which they found themselves (1 Peter 3:5-6). Sarah had learned not to fear what man could do to her, but rather to place her fear and, more importantly, her faith in her great God, entrusting herself to Him.
Sarah left a legacy by demonstrating her trust and faith in God, not that her faith was always great, but her faith always rested in a great God. She fully trusted in God for what was far greater than her own abilities. The most exciting promise was the birth of the Messiah through Sarah’s bloodline!
“Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands.”
Psalm 119:90
